Electric heating element.



No. 746,128. PATENTED DEC. 8, 1903. J. F. MOELROY. ELECTRIC HEATING ELEMENT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.31. 1901.

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F mm E WM W 8 g No. 746,128. PATENTBD DEG. 8,.1903.

J. P. MoELROY.

ELECTRIC HEATING ELEMENT.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 31. 1901.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETSSHBET 2.

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No. 746,128. Patented December 8, 1903.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES 'F. MOELROY, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CONSOLIDATED OAR-HEATING COMPANY, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC HEATING ELEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 746,128, dated December 8, 1903.

Application filed August 31.1901. derial No. 73,982. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Similarletters refer to similar parts through- Be it known that 1, JAMES F. MOELROY, a out the several views. citizen of the United States of America, and a In order to provide for bringing the maxiresident of the city of Albany, county of Almum amount of air to be heated in contact 5 bany, and State of New York, have invented with the heating element, the conductingcertain new and useful Improvements in Elecwire, it is not only advisable to construct the tric Heating Elements, of which the following support so that the air will pass therethrough is a specification. and between the adjacent layers of the heat- My invention relates to electric heaters. ing element, but also so as to provide for to The object of my invention is to provide an bringing as much air as possible in contact electric heater so constructed that the maxiwith the exterior surface of the heating ele 6o mum amount of air may be brought in conment that is around and in contact with the tact with the conducting-wire, providing not sides of the conducting-wire. I have shown only for the passage of air through the adjaby the accompanying drawings the support 15 cent layers of the conducting-wire, but also made with a solid surface and so constructed in contact with the major portion of the exas to provide for the maximum amount of air terior surfaces of the coil of said conductingthat may be brought in contact with the exwires; also, to provide a means whereby the terior surface of the heating element; also, several devices for the support for the conarranged in such a manner that the support 20 ducting-wire shall be positively brought in shall be perforated or open in part, so as to proper relation to each other in mounting the allow for the circulation of air through the supsupport in position for receiving the conductport and through the openings between the ing-wire, together with such arrangements adjacentlayers oftheheatingelement, as well and combinations as shall hereinafter be more as in contact with a large portion of the ex- 25 particularly described and claimed. 1 attain terior surface of the heating element. Thus these objects in the mannerillustrated in the in Figs. 1, 3, 4:, 6, and 7 I have shown a supaccompanying drawings, in which port the surface of which is unprovided with Figure l is a plan partly in section. Fig. either perforations or openings of any kind, 2 is an end view of the device. Fig. 3 is a but so constructed that the largest possible 30 plan of a support with conducting-wire coiled amount of air will be brought in contact with thereon, illustrating a means provided for the exterior surface of the heating element, keeping the device in proper relation. Fig. while in Figs. 9, 11, 13, 15, and 16 I show in 4 is a plan illustrating a modified form of my addition to this arrangement for bringingthe invention with modified form of means for largest possible amount of air in contact with 35 securing the device together. Fig. 5 is aperthe exterior surface of the heating element a spective view of the end plate P of Fig. 3. means for also causing the air to circulate Fig. 6 is a section of a modified form. Fig. 7 through the support and between the adjais a plan of a modified form. Fig. Sis an end cent layers of the heating element. elevation of Fig. 6. Fig. 9 isa plan of a modi- In Figs. 1, 3, and A I arrange a support A,

0 fied form. Fig. 10 is an end elevation of Fig. preferably constructed of porcelain or other 9 with the addition of a rod passing therenon-conducting substance orof metal coated through. Fig. 11is aplan of a modified form. with non-conducting material and provided Fig. 12 is an end view of Fig. 11 with a rod with two spiral ridges ab, extending from one passing therethrough. Fig. 13 is a plan of a end of the support to the other. In contact 45 modified form. Fig. 14 is an end elevation with the edges of two of the adjacent ridges of Fig. 13 with the addition of the V-shaped a b is placed the coiled conducting-wire B, 5 support placed therein. Fig. 15 is a plan of (the heating element,) as is shown in Fig. 3,

a modified form Fig. 16 is a section of a there being between the adjacent coils of the modified form. heating element as thus placed on the support a spiral groove 0, spacing the adjacent layers of the heating element for the passage of air in contact with the exterior surface thereof on each side thereof and extending throughout the length of the support.

It is understood that the support for the heating element of an electric heater is ordinarily made up of several longitudinal sections which must be joined together end for end before being placed in the heater-casing. In order to provide for the proper registra tion of these sections, so that when brought together the ridges and grooves formed thereon will register with each other, I have provided a log D and recess E in each end portion of each section, the lug on one section entering the recess in the other, insuring perfeet alinemont. This arrangement of lug and recess also prevents rotation of the sections of the support after they are mounted in the heater-casing. I also arrange at the end of the heatersupport after the sections are placed together and ready for inserting in the hcater-casing a plate P, provided with lug D and recess E for the same purpose for which they are placed on the ends of the sections of the supports. Plate P is also provided with an opening F, through which the conductingwire of the heating element passes.

In Fig. 4E I show a modified form of my invention relating to the means for uniting the sections of the support in such a manner that they will positively register and prevent rotation. This is done by cutting the ends diagonally parallel to the ridges a, as is shown at G G in Fig. at.

I may also arrange my support A as is shown in Figs. 6 and 7, in which the two spirals ridges ab differ in the distance from each other, providing a means for placing more or less of the heating element upon the support, if desired, the heating element being placed in contact with the adjacent ridges closer together, making the heater of larger diameter and containing more wire and leaving a Wider space between the adjacent layers of the heating element, as shown in Fig. 7, than when the heating element is placed in the wider spaces, as shown in 6.

In Fig. 9 I have shown a modified form of my invention in which the spiral ridges are formed by winding the support, preferably provided with heavy wires II II along the edges and preferably coated with some insulated material and provided with openings or perforations J, through which the air may pass in contact with and through the heating element, also provided with spaces between the adjacent layers of the heating element, through which the air may readily circulate.

In Fig. 10 I show the same arrangement as shown in Fig. 9, with the exception that I provide a rod L, passing through the support for the purpose of rendering it more rigid.

In Figs. 11 and 13 I show a modified form of my invention in which I provide the two re-sass ridges and arrange for spacing the distance between the ridges as described in reference to Figs. 6 and 7 and provide for allowing the circulation ofairthrough theheatingelement, as well as in contact with the sides thereof, also for arranging and placing a greater or less amount of the heating element upon the support, as shall be desired. This is done by winding two heavywires, either round or halfround wire, as desired, parallel, and coiled spirally from end to end of the support. In contact with these parallel adjacent wires is placed the heating element, leaving a space between them through which the air may circulate as well as through the heating element.

In Figs. 12 and 1% I arrange for placing within the support a rod M, as shown in Fig. 12, or a V-shaped support, as shown in Fig. 1

InFig. 15 I show a modified form of my invention in which I provide two ridges preferably arranged with wire along the edges properly covered with insulating material, the body of the support consisting of metallic connecting-strip S, provided with perforations R, as shown in Fig. 15, or without the perforations, as shown in Fig. 16, it being understood that when arranged the spaces between the ridges are of equal distance or differing in distance, as desired.

.Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric heater a support; two parallel ridges formed thereon, extending spirally around the support from one end to the other; a coil of wire extending in the spiral path about said support in contact with the adjacent edges of the two adjacent ridges; that portion of the support adjacent to the ridges carrying the wire, grooved to allow the air to pass in contact with sides of said wire.

2. In an electric heater a support for the heating element provided with two parallel projecting ridges, extending spirally from one end of the support to the other; a coilof wire placed in contact with the edges of the adjacent ridges, said ridges carrying wire spaced from their adjacent spirals in their course about the support, allowing the air to pass beneath and in contact with the side of said wire, substantially as described.

3. In an electric heater a support for the heating element consisting of two spirallycoiled ridges separated from each other, and the adjacent spiral of said ridges also separated with a coil of wire placed in contact with said ridges, so constructed that a free circulation of air will take place in contact with each side of said coil from the bottom to the top throughout its entire length, as well as through the coil of wire between its convolution.

4. In an electric heater a support for the heating element consisting of two parallel spirally-coiled supports separated from each other, leaving spaces between the adjacent supports, in combination with the heating two convolutions of each of said ridges separated from each other, in combination with the heating element consisting of a coil of wire adapted to be placed spirally about said support; said support so constructed and connected up that a free circulation of air will take place through the convolutions of the heating element, also in contact with the sides of the heating element from bottom to the top thereof, substantially as described.

6. In an electric heater a V-shaped support standing in the spiral path from one end to the other, provided along its edges with a nonconducting substance, in combination with coil of wire adapted to engage with said support, allowing for the circulation of air through and on each side of the heating element substantially as described.

7. In an electric heater a support for the heating element consisting of two parallel spirally-coiled ridges separated from each other by a ventilating-groove; a coil of heating-wire supported between said ridges so that air may circulate from the bottom to the top of the heater through said ventilatinggroove.

ridges between which the heating-coil is wound, and provided with two ventilatinggrooves, one between the ridges and under the heating-coil, and the other formed in the insulating-support between adjacent turns of the heating-coil, substantially as described.

10. In an electric heater a support for the heating-coil upon whose surface are raised supporting-ridges; the supporting-ridges being spaced apart at unequal distances,and presenting two paths of unequal lengths in which the heating-coil may be laid, substantially as described.

11. In an electric heater a support for the heating-coil upon whose surface are raised supportingridges; the supporting-ridges beingspaced apart at unequal distances,and presenting two paths of unequallengths in which the heating-coil may be laid, thus forming two ventilatinggrooves between adjacent spiral supports, one being beneath the heating-coil, andtheotherbetween adjacent turns of theheating-coil, substantially as described. 12. In an electric heater a support for the heating element consisting of two parallel spirally-wound ridges with ventilating-grooves between the ridges; said support being made in sections and mounted upon a supportingrod with means for causing the ends of the supporting-sections to register with each other, so that the spiral groove is continuous from one end of the heater to the other, substantially as described.

13. In an electric heater a support for the heating element consisting of sections of insulating material mounted upon a rod; the ends of which sections are caused tointerlock and to be held in position by a projection on one section which registers with a groove in the adjacent section, substantially as described.

Signed at Albany, New York, this 28th day of August, 1901.

JAMES F. MCELROY.

Witnesses:

CHARLES L. WEST, ERNEST D. JANsEN. 

